ROOT DISTRIBUTION OF AVOCADO TREES ON A SANDY LOAM SOIL AS AFFECTED BY SOIL COMPACTION

A root distribution study on three mature fuerte avocado trees as related to soil compaction was conducted with the use of a penetrometer and with soil root profiles at the periphery of the trees.
The profile walls that were compared had the same width and depth (3.3 x 0.9 m).

In compacted soil layers (150 – 450 mm), where 50 % of the roots were restricted to the topsoil (0 – 150 mm) and with only sporadic occurrence of roots below the compacted layers the threshold soil strength was about 2500 kPa.
A reduction in root number and tree volume occurred at these soil strength values.
Where the soil layer had a strength below 2500 kPa a good root distribution occurred throughout the profile.
High soil strengths in compacted soil layers were attributed to a high content of fine and medium sand in the profiles, which are apparantly more susceptible to compaction.

International Symposium on the Culture of Subtropical and Tropical Fruits and Crops

R.A. Abercrombie

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.275.63